Survivors and their children involved in the child welfare system face an elevated risk level. With a history of supporting separation of partners when domestic violence is a factor, survivors involved with the child welfare system can have to make one of the hardest decisions of their lives: leaving their abusive partner or risk losing their children.
Below are resources from TCFV and national partners curated to support survivors involved with child welfare, promote accountability for the abusive partner, and focus on the protective factors of the survivor parent.
| Domestic Violence Advocate Resources When you’re supporting a child welfare-involved survivor and their children, you can provide more support when you understand the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Child Welfare System. See the resources below for tools to promote their privacy rights, recognizing their protective factors and strengths, and support safety around parenting. | Survivor Resources Having an open child welfare case can be overwhelming and make an already stressful situation feel like too much. These resources are designed to help survivors understand how to navigate the child welfare system and what your rights are, identify and speak about parenting strengths, and how to support changing relationships with their children. | Child Welfare Staff Resources When working with survivors of domestic violence, child welfare system staff should be mindful that parents who use violence are seeking control of their partner and family, and systems involvement threatens that control. As child welfare staff charged with the critical job of keeping children safe, there are things you can be aware that can help increase safety for the survivor and their children. These resources can point you in the right direction to keep these children safer. |
| Safe & Together Perpetrator and Survivor Mapping Handout Department of Family and Protective Services ‘DFPS’ Glossary Advocates- Child Protective Services Tip Sheet National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Confidentiality Institute: Privacy in HIPAA, VAWA, FVPSA, and VOCA Safe & Together: Advocate’s Guide to Understanding Survivor Parenting Strengths A Salvo y Juntos: Guía del defensor para entender las fort alezas de los padres sobrevivientes An toàn & Đoàn kết: Hướng Dẫn Của L uật Sư Tìm Hiểu Về Những Điểm Mạnh Làm Cha Mẹ Của Nạn Nhân. | National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protecti on and Custody (RCDV – CPC) 10 Ways to Find Help with Your Case NCJFCJ RCDV CPC: 10 Things to know About Family Court DFPS – What Happens to My Child Survivor Rights when CPS is Involved Derechos delos sobrevivientes cuando interviene el CPS | Safe & Together Perpetrator and Survivor Mapping Handout NCJFCJ: Checklist to Promote Perpetrator Accountability in CPS Cases SB 434 Recommendations for Child Welfare and Domestic Violence DFPS’ Domestic Violence Resource Guide |